Staff Reporter:
The country yesterday witnessed nationwide street protests joined by ordinary people, students and wom-en against the recently reported incidents of sexual assaults against women, particularly child rapes.
Rights groups raised their voice particularly after the brutal assault of an eight-year-old girl child by her sister’s father-in-law in Magura three days ago while reports of sexual assaults against women in recent days visibly enraged people prompting them to take to the street in different parts of the country.
A large group of people staged a human chain protest followed by a rally in front of Kaliganj Bus Stand in Jhenaidah, demanding exemplary punishments of sex crime culprits when protesters said rapists do not have any social or political identity and they are worse than animals.
They demanded the culprits be handed down death penalty in line with the law if the allegations were proved in due legal process.
The protest rally in Jhenaidah was addressed by journalist and social worker Shahriar Alam Sohag, stu-dent leaders Maruf Billah, Mousham Uddin Shovon, Jewel Rana, Mahafuzur Rahman Ishan, Riaz Uddin, Ifti Jahan, Tajul Islam, Mehedi Hasan Hiron.
In Cumilla, a protest rally at Chandina-Bagur Bus Stand with students and youths being the main organ-izers, drawing a huge crowd that even caused a huge traffic jam on Dhaka Chattogram Highway.
In the sit-in program, Anti-discrimination Student Movement Chandina Municipality unit convener Md Rabbi demanded proper and immediate steps in curbing rape and killing across the country.
In Tangail, students and people arranged an identical protest rally and sit-in programme demanding highest punishments of the culprits preceded by a street march from Ghatail Upazila Parishad Chattar to central Shaheed Minar of the upazila.
Students’ leaders Md Rakibul Islam Rakib, Dewan Saiful Islam, Arifur Islam and Sultan, among others, spoke at the event.
In Rajshahi University, students brought up a protest procession demanding steps to ensure security of women and children.
The street march started from Zoha Chattar and ended at the same venue after parading different streets on the campus.
